The subject matter described and/or illustrated herein relates generally to an electrical connector that is configured to shield a cable-termination region where a communication cable couples to the electrical connector.
In some known electrical connector assemblies, an electrical connector includes an array of signal and ground contacts that are configured to couple to corresponding mating contacts of another connector. The signal and ground contacts are held by a dielectric body of the electrical connector in an arrangement that is configured to achieve a desired electrical performance. The signal and ground contacts include mating portions that engage the corresponding electrical contacts and terminal portions that engage communication cables. The communication cables include a pair of signal conductors and one or more drain wires. The signal conductors and the drain wires are mechanically and electrically coupled (e.g., by soldering) to the signal contacts and the ground contacts, respectively, at cable-termination regions. These regions can be a source of unwanted crosstalk in an electrical connector and, as such, it may be desirable to shield the cable-termination regions from each other and from other electrical connectors.
Depending upon different factors, such as the configuration of the array of signal and ground contacts and the electrical connector's environment, it may also be desirable to use one type of cable construction over other cable constructions. For example, cables that have only a single drain wire and a parallel pair of signal conductors may be more suitable for aligning and terminating with the signal and ground contacts of the electrical connector. However, such single-drain cables may be more difficult to bend or manipulate in some environments. Cables with two drain wires and a parallel pair of signal conductors may perform electrically better than cables with only one drain wire, but these dual-drain cables may lack flexibility.
In addition to the above limitations, both the single-drain and dual-drain cable constructions may not properly align with the signal and ground contacts of the electrical connector. As such, it may be necessary to manipulate the drain wire, such as by crossing the drain wire over one of the signal conductors, before terminating the signal conductors and the drain wire(s) to the electrical connector. Such cross-overs may have a negative impact on electrical performance and can also increase the number of physical manipulations that are performed during the terminating process, which can increase a cost of manufacture and/or a risk of damaging the components of the connector assembly.
In another cable construction, two signal conductors may be twisted about a single drain wire. This twisted-pair configuration may be more flexible than the other cable constructions. However, it may also be necessary, as described above, to cross the drain wire over one of the signal conductors before terminating to the electrical connector.
Accordingly, there is a need for an electrical connector that facilitates termination of different cable types and provides improved shielding to enhance electrical performance.